Portfolio Insights:“While the Colorado economy has shown signs of improvement and Gov. John Hickenlooper the past year restored about $9 million to the University of Colorado operating budget, higher education funding remains unpredictable at best. With this in mind, the University of Colorado continues to be prudent and efficient in its practices and is well positioned, despite fiscal fluctuation and uncertainty. As this report shows, our primary funding streams have held steady and even grown as we continue to increase revenue resources and improve on our efficiencies. For the year that ended June 30, 2013, the University’s net position increased by nearly $218million. We are in this position because we have taken active steps to ensure the financial health of the University.” (Source)

1) The University of Colorado Foundation partners with the University of Colorado to manage private funding for the University’s benefit and to support the University’s fundraising efforts. This support enables the University to transform lives through education, research, clinical care, and community engagement. (Source)

2) The University of Colorado Foundation has picked its next president and ceo. Jack Finlaw will join the $1.1 billion foundation, effective Nov. 17. He succeeds Richard Lawrence, the foundation’s former chief executive, who left to head Boulder, Colo.-based wealth management firm Sargent Bickham Lagudis earlier this year. In his new role, Finlaw will be responsible for attracting investments and fundraising. (Source)

3) The University of Colorado Foundation had the largest endowment of any university in Colorado, with $771.3 million that earned it a spot at No. 96 on the list. But between fiscal 2011 and fiscal 2012, the size of its endowment decreased by 1.7 percent. At No. 749, the Colorado Mesa University Foundation has an endowment of $17.3 million, which is 25.5 percent higher than it was a year earlier. (Source)

4) In 2009, the University of Colorado Foundation outsourced the management of its then-$825 million fund to Perella Weinberg Partners. The New York City-based firm—just three years old when it received the mandate—has remained a boutique, now managing $11 billion.

The endowment’s CIO Christopher Bittman moved to become partner at Perella Weinberg at the time of the deal. He remains at the asset management and advisory firm, one of two partners based in Denver. Bittman continues writes the fund’s quarterly investment updates and head up its management, according to recent publications. (Source)

5) The University of Colorado Foundation was overhauling its entire financial management system, including extensive reporting to divisions and departments across campuses. With hundreds of users based at different physical locations, the Foundation needed a hosted product. After scanning the environment and evaluating possible products, they identified The Financial Edge® as the leading solution. They initially thought they would host directly with Blackbaud®, but learned that OnDemand™ could not support the web-based reporting functionality that The Financial Edge® offered. That led them to Beyond Nines. (Source)

About Richard C. Wilson

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